OTTAWA -- Devils coach Pete DeBoer was ready to move on after a war of words with Rangers counterpart John Tortorella.

But not before he got in one last verbal jab.

While Tortorella remained mostly silent Monday night about his personal disagreement with the starting lineup DeBoer put on the Madison Square Garden ice, the Devils' coach did not. "I guess in John's world you can come into our building and start your tough guys, but we can't do the same in here," DeBoer said after the game. "He's either got short-term memory loss or he's a hypocrite. It's one or the other."

DeBoer stuck by his comments.

"We've moved on. I said what I had to say last night and I didn't need a night to sleep on it to tell you my thoughts," DeBoer said today. "I stand by what I said and we're moving on to play Ottawa."

DeBoer was referring to comments Tortorella made today to members of the Rangers' media. Tortorella was asked if he knew what DeBoer had said.

“I read it,” Tortorella said. “I think Peter needs to jog his memory as far as the starting lineups that I’ve put in over in their building and really, basically, just shut up. And I need to also. I think the situation last night is disrespectful to players and I think we took a backwards step. I get put in a position when he puts a lineup like that out - and I’m not sure what’s going to happen if I put my top players out - so I have to answer the way I need to answer. Really, just look at the two lineups and some of the things he’s done through the games here, again, I don’t want to coach his team, but just shut up.

“Fighting’s part of the game, that’s a big part of the game,” Tortorellla said. “But it doesn’t need to be manufactured. In that type of game, Jersey and the Rangers, there were going to be fights. But it’s really gotten old for me, the staged fights, it doesn’t need to be manufactured. Nowadays in our league, if a guy gets hit hard, clean, everybody’s looking to fight. Where hard checking and hard hitting is part of the game. And that crap at the beginning of the game, to try to manipulate it into it, I just don’t think it’s right for the game. I think there’s enough of it, and there always will be and there should be. I’m certainly not one of the pacifists that think fighting should be out of the game, that’s a big part of our game. But let the players decide. I just don’t think coaches should be putting players in situations that basically dictates fighting.”

When asked to comment further, DeBoer refused.

"I'm not talking about the Rangers anymore. We're in Ottawa," he said.

DeBoer's players backed him. In fact, goalie Martin Brodeur said he didn't like the fighting at the start of the game but enjoyed the sniping between the two coaches.

"I like that part of it because I think that's what rivalries are all about," Brodeur said. "For Pete to stand up for what he did or what Tortorella did I think is a good sign because it means you care about the opponent you play against. You get to hate them and, as a player you want everybody to be on board.

"For me being here so long you get to dislike teams and you want everybody on board. Pete is new to this. He's new to the rivalry. We've had our share of success against those guys this year, there's no doubt about that. We finished .500 in the six-game series against the top team in our conference. You've got to be happy about that. It's pretty good."

Brodeur understands why DeBoer started his fourth line with Eric Boulton and Cam Janssen.

"Yes. They (the Rangers) did it last time to us and we bailed and nothing happened," the goalie said. "It was in Tortorella's hands to do what he wanted. I don't know why he complains about. I'm not a big fan of that. I don't want to offend my players because I think they do a great job doing what they do. You have to do what you have to do and they did a great job."

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DeBoer said Eric Boulton will come out of the Devils' lineup Tuesday night and Steve Bernier will go back in.

Johan Hedberg starts in goal.

Jason Spezza will not play for the Sens. He has the flu.

* * *

Ryan Carter's face was swollen and bruised from his fight with Stu Bickel but the center said he felt fine.

"I think it's just the stitches. It's a mattress stitch. There are only three but it looks like four or five," Carter said. "Everything is fine. It actually reopened an old cut. I've been cut there (above his eyebrow) before."

* * *

Travis Zajac was among a half-dozen players who skated in Ottawa Tuesday morning.

DeBoer said Zajac there was never a chance that Zajac would play in Ottawa.

"We brought Travis here to be with the team, to skate and to spend some time with our coaches because he's getting very close," the coach said.

He would not talk about when Zajac would be ready.

If the Devils don't start scoring more, DeBoer hinted he might juggle his lines. Zajac's return would be a factor.

"Sure it is. He's a great piece to add. Obviously as a coach in your mind you slot him into different spots," DeBoer said. "He's not going to jump right in to where we see him. Maybe 2-3 weeks into his return. But he can definitely help us in a top six role.

"We've thought about (changing combinations). Obviously when you go through a stretch where you're not scoring some goals you think about making some changes and tweaking some things.

"It was only 7-10 days ago where we were in a stretch when we were scoring four a night and we won seven of eight. We were rolling in a real good direction. I think it's a little premature (to change lines now), but the longer you go without scoring the more you start to think about those things."

How many games does Zajac need before the playoffs?

"The more the better. You have to get your timing back, you've got to get up to game speed. He's missed a lot of time," DeBoer noted. "Without putting him in a situation where he's vulnerable to re-injury or something like that. We all feel the same way on that, including Travis."

Why haven't the Devils been scoring more?

"I think (it's) a few things," DeBoer said. "I think our power play has gone a little cold the last few games. I think we haven't been attacking the net enough with enough of a shot mentality as a group. Those are generic answers but that's a simple answer to it."